Bale loader and stacker



w. s. BABcocK ETAL. 2,828,031

March 25, V1958 l `BALE LOADER .AND STAGKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March9, 1956 s. AecocK VV.

Hrmfhlrl A-r-raszwevs March 25, 1958 Filed March 9. 1956 w. s. BABcocKETAL '2,828,031

BALE LOADER AND STACKER 4 sheets-Sheet z INVENTORS WILBE?, E BABCocK.

OQGE W- BABCOC-K.

Wmngm #9m I AT TURN E V5 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 w. s. BABcocK' ETAL.

BALE LOADER AND sTAcxER March 25, 1958 Filed March 9, 1956 GEQQGEL W.BABCOCK lBY March 25, 1958 W' s' BABCOCK ETA'- 2,828,031

BALE LOADER AND STACKER Filed March-9, 1956 4 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORWlLBEQ. s. BABcoclc GEORGE w` BABCQQK BY f ATTO R N EVS United StatesPatent' o BALE LOADER AND STACKER Wilber S. Babcock and George W.Babcock, Lancaster, Calif.

Application March 9, 1956, serial No. 570,466

z claims. (c1.z14146.s)

This invention relates to vehicle-mounted loading and itacking devicesfor bales of hay and the like, and more aarticularly represents animprovement over the strucg :ure shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,726,115,granted to 1s on Decamber 6, 1955..

In the mentioned patent, there is shown a structure adapted to bemounted upon a` truck bed, and includ- ,ng a load support bed orplatform swingably mounted Jpon the truck bed, for swinging movementbetween a rst position in which the platform is horizontally disnosed,and a second position in which it is vertically iisposed beyond the rearend of the truck. In the first -nosition, the device is adapted to serveas a conventional :ruck bed, whereby bales of hay and similar objectsmay Je transported from place to place. When the platform is iwung toits secondposition, the load is supported upon :he ground, so that thetruck may be pulled away, leaving :he load in a stack upon the ground.Movement of the ,Jlatform to the second position is also resorted to fordie purpose of backing the truck up to a stack of bales, for engagingsaid stack with the swingable platform, after which the platform isreturned to its horizontal, first posi- :ion for transport of the load.

Further, in said patent, an assembly including slidable ngers or arms,shiftable in paths, and lying in planes, normal to the swingableplatform, is carried by said platform. The arms are adapted to providerear end stakes for the load during transport, and further, supsort theload during swinging of the platform from its orizontal to its verticalposition, after which the arms are retractable for the purpose ofdisengaging the same from under the load.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generallyimproved kconstruction for a device of this type, retaining thedesirable characteristics of the patented structure, including theswingable platform and` the retractable arms. More specific objects areas follows:

First, to provide an improved mechanism for elevating and lowering the.swinging bed; ,t

Second, to provide an improved mechanism for retracting and extendingthe arms; and

Third, but of an importance at least equal to the first two particularobjects, to provide, in combination with the rest of the structure,stepped platform means on the swinging bed that serves to oifset in avertical direction different portions of the load, so that when the bedis swung to its vertical position, said portions will interlit withcorresponding, previously unloaded portions to produce a tiered stackYupon the vground that will prevent the stack from falling over.

Other objects will appear from the following descrip tion, the claimsappended thereto, and from theannexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of apparatus formed in accordancewith the present invention, shown in full lines in its horizontal,load-transporting position, a load Llll ` 2,828,031 Patented Mar. 25,1958 ICC 2 of bales being shown upon the apparatus in supportedcondition, the dotted lines showingthe apparatus partially swung to itsopposite extreme, loading or unloading position;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus, the scale beingenlarged above Figure 1, as seen from the left of Figure l, portions ofthe arms being broken away and the platform being shown in its loweredposition;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to Figure 1, inwhich the swinging bed has been swung to its vertical position forloading or unloading of the stacks;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus, portions being brokenaway, in its loading or stacking position, as seen from the line 4 4 ofvFigure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the apparatus withthe bedelevated to its loading or stacking position.

`Referring to the drawings in detail, designated generallynat 10 is aiiat bed truck, and mounted upon the bed frame of the truck is thepresent invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 11. Theinvention includes a-pair of elongated, straight,horizontally'disposedside rails 12 oiset inwardly from the oppositesides of the frame of the truck, and iixedly mounted upon said bedframe, the side rails extending for substantially the full length of thebed frame. Fixedly secured to the rear or outer ends of the side rails12 are vertically disposed plates 14 which, as shown in Figures 3 and 5,have their upper and lower ends respectively projecting above and belowthe plane of the side rails 12.

Disposed adjacent the plates 14, at the inner sides of the plates, areelongated, channeled platform support rails 16, which, when the platformis lowered to its horizontal position, extends substantially inlongitudinal contact with the side rails 12. The platform support rails,in the upwardly swung position of the platform shown inj Figures 3 and5, are disposed vertically, swinging on a pivot passing through theplates V14, in a manner to be described with greater particularityhereinafter'. Welded or otherwise txedly secured to the outer surfacesof the channeled support rails 1.6 are plates i8, formed with elongatedslots 20 transversely aligned with slots 22 formed in the webs of thesupport rails 16. The slots 20, 22, at one end, have short, obliqueextensions which, on movement of a pivot pin longitudinally of theslots, serve to ultimately offset the pivot pin transversely of eachsupport rail 16, to properly locate the support rail as it swings to itsvertical position.

Welded or` otherwise fixedly secured to the rails 16, and projectinglaterally, outwardly from said support rails, are flat, wide braceplates 24, bracing one end of and disposed transversely of a rectangularplatform 26, the periphery of which is braced by channel members.

The stationary rails 12, together with the plates 14 and otherstationary components to be described hereinafter, `constitute what mayappropriately be termed a support frame for lthe device generallydesignated at 30. The channeled rails 16, together with their associatedplatform, define a swinging load support hed, pivoted upon the supportframe for swinging movement about a horizontal axis extendingtransversely of the support frame at theV outer end thereof, said outerend being disposedslightly beyondthe rear end of the truck 10.

Means 34 is provided for swinging the bed between its normal, horizontalposition shown in full lines in Figure 1, and its loading or unloadingposition shown in Figures 4 and 5. Said means includes a pair oftransversely spaced hydraulic cylinders 36, pivotally connected at 38(Figure 5) to across bar 40 of the support frame 30, intermediate theopposite ends of the support 'ame.

The cylinders swing about an axis paralleling that of the bed 32, andextending from the other ends of the cylinders are piston rods 42,pivotally connected at theirouter ends to a cross bar44 paralleling thedesignated axes. The crossjbar'44 is Yiixedly connected between bracketplates 46 fixedly secured to the undersides of the side rails 16intermediate opposite. endsrof the side rails, and rotatable upon thebracket plates adjacent the cross bar 44 are axle carrying rollers 4.8.

Rigid with the outer end portions of the support rails 12 arev'erticallydisposed plates 51, lying against the.

inner surfaces of the rails 16. Thus, the rails swing into and out ofthe spaces between the plates 14, 50, when.

so that said rollers may roll upwardly upon said curvedV surfaces.

Fixedly connected between the outer ends of the plates 50 isahorizontally disposed cross bar 52 also constituting a part of thesupport frame 30, said cross bar reinforcing the plates 50 in atransverse direction.

Pivot pins 54 are carried by the outer ends of the plates 50, and extendthrough the slots 20, 22, and also through the plates 14. The pivot pins54 define the axis about which the bed swings between its horizontal andvertical positions, with said swinging movement being ef* fected byextension and retraction of the piston rods 42.

Rotatably mounted upon the inner surfaces of the plates 14, at the lowerend thereof, are rollers 56, the purpose of which will be presently madefully apparent.

Medially between the rails 16, there is provided a hydraulic cylinder58, pivotally connected at one end as at 60 to the cross bar 52,-forswinging movement about an axis paralleling the pivot axis of the bed32. A piston rod 62 works in cylinder 58 and is pivotally connected at64 to a cross bar 66 fixedly connected between the side rails 16 andconstituting a part of the bed 32.

Fixedly secured to the reinforcing rails 24, and also constituting apart of the frame 32, are U-shaped guides 68, in whichare slidablymounted elongated arms 70. The

arms 70' slide within the guides in paths normal tothe plane of theplatform 32, and formed in the arms are elongated, longitudinally andcentrally extending slots 72. The slots'72 are closed at one end of thearms by a cross bar 74, and said bars 74 are adapted to engage againstthe adjacent ends of the side walls of the guides or housings 68, tolimit movement of the arms 70 to the left in Figures 3 and 5, that is,in a direction to extend the arms.

Means is mounted upon the bed to extend and retract the arms intoload-engaging and disengaging positions respectively. This includes amotor 76 (Figure 2), preferably a hydraulic motor, mounted uponthe bedadjacent the guides or housings 68. A small drive sprocket 78 is securedto the shaft of motor '76, and drives-achain 79 trained about a largersprocket 80, secured to azshaft extending into a gear box 82 alsosecured to the bed 32. The gear box has therein conventional reductiongearing designed to elfect the relatively slow kextension and retractionof the arms 70 on operation of theV motor, and extending from the gearbox in opposite directions is a shaft 81,- which projects at itsopposite ends through bearings formed in the rails 16.

Securedfto opposite ends of the shaft 81 are small sprockets 84, aboutwhich are trained chains 86v also trained about idler sprockets 88rotatably mounted upon 2582789031 y a A 4 the walls of the guides 68 andspaced longitudinally o the slots 72 of the respective arms 70.

The chain 86, at its opposite ends, is connected at ont end to the bar74 and at the other end to the end wal of the slot 72.

The chain, thus, extends longitudinally within the re spective slots 72since chains, are anchored to the arms 74 and in mesh with the sprockets84, on operation of th hydraulic motor to rotate sprockets 84 in onedirectiol the arms` 75B will be extended to their load-engaging positions shown in Figures 1 and 5. On operation of thI motor to rotate thesprockets 84 in opposite directions the arms will be retracted to thedotted line positions o Figure 3, to disengage from the load.

An important feature of the invention resides in th` particular mannerin which the bales are supported upox the bed. At the inner end of thebed, that is, the ent remotefrom the arms ,70 and disposed adjacent thecal of the truck during transport of the bales, there is pro vided, overthe full width of the platform 26, an auxiliarl platform generallydesignated 90.Y -llhis extends for ap proximately half ,the length ofthe`platform 26, and over lies the full area between the inner end ofthe platforn 26 and the midlength portion thereof.

The auxiliary platform 90 includes an outer end por tion 92 which iselevated above the plane of the load supporting surface of platform 26 adistance equal t1 approximatelyhalf the depth of a bale. The inner .emportion 94, in turn, has its load-supporting surface ele vated abovethat of the portion 92 a distance approxi 'mately half the depth of abale.

' That portion of the'platform 26 which is not covere1 by the auxiliaryplatform 90 is of a length adapted t1 hold a predetermined number ofvertical rows A of bales In the illustrated example, four rows A may besupportel upon this part of the platform 26. The portion 92 o platform90 is slightly shorter, so as to support thre rows of bales, the rowssupported upon the portion 91 being designated by the reference letterB. The portio: 94 is still shorter,-and is adapted to support a singlero\ C ofbales.

Due to this arrangement, it will be seen that the in vention includes astepped bed, said bed being progres sively stepped upwardly in thedirection of the inner ent of the bed as shown to best advantage inFigure l.

The result is that when the bales are loaded onto th apparatus, and aresupported for transport as in Figure l the upper end of the row C willbe otset upwardly a at 98 from the plane of the top .surfaces of therows o bales B. Similarly, the upper ends of the rows B wil be offsetupwardly as at 96 above the planes of the to` surfaces of the rows A.

By reason of this arrangement, when the bed is tilte from its horizontalto its vertical position, the bales wij be supported upon the groundsurface in an arrangemer wherein the bales B will` be staggeredVrelative to th baies A (seer Figures 3 and 4), with the bales C bein inturn staggered relatively to the bales B. It will b readily appreciatedthat the bales will be thus supporte in such a way as to resist theusual tendency of the sam to fall over when they are stacked.

When bales of hay are stacked in a manner in whicf the tiered orstaggered stacking system is not employe( they tend to fall over. Whenstaggering of the stacke bales is used, however, the stack remainsstable. Du to the arrangement illustrated, when the load is shifte` fromits Figure 1 to its Figure 4 position, the rows A wij abut againstpreviously stacked rows A, the rows B wil abut against previouslystacked rows VB, etc. Since th previously stacked rows are offsetcorrespondingly t those shown in Figure l, the newly unloaded bales wilnterfit with those previouslyV stacked. Thus, succes sively dumped loadswill intert one with another prc ducing, as anend result, a single,tiered stack.

To provide abutments in the sides and inner endo the load, stakes aresecured to the apparatus. Thus, there are provided two stakes 100, oneor both of which may have inwardly extending stops 102 adapted to engagethe bales of the row C. Side stakes 104 are iixedly secured to theplatform 26, and stakes 100, 104 will coop-` erate with the arms 70 inproviding upon the truck a stake body during transport of the load.

In use `of the apparatus, and assuming that the load or bales is to bedumped, means is operated from the cab of the vehicle to extend thepiston rods 42. At the same time, uid is supplied under pressure to thecylinder 58, to an end of the cylinder adapted for extending the pistonrod 62.

Since the rams or rods 42 are extended simultaneously with the ram orrod 62, preferably by the same control valve, the smaller ram 62 willoppose the larger rams. Nevertheless, in actuality it will not interferewith extension of the rams 42, in view of its smaller size resulting inits being under less pressure than the rams 42. This causes a smallpower loss which, however, is not important.

As the rams 42 move out of their cylinders, the bed 32 will roll uponside rails 12, through the provision of rollers 48, toward the left inFigure l. The pivot pins 54 will thus move along the slots 20. As soonas the movement of the bed begins, rollers 48 begin to climb ramps 51.When the rollers reach the tops of the ramps, the bed will be tilted outof the horizontal suiciently to permit further extension of rams 42 tocause swinging movement of the bed about the pins 54 to the verticalposition in Figures 3 and 4.

When the bed is vertically disposed, the smaller ram no longer opposesthe larger rams, and thus as continued pressure is applied to thesmaller ram, it will raise the bed above the ground so that the truckcan be moved without dragging the bed upon the ground.

The smaller ram further acts as a snubber, to prevent the bedfromrmaking sudden movements within the slots 20, 22.

When the bed is vertically disposed as in Figure 3, the load will besupported upon the arms 70, which will now be horizontally disposed.Retraction of the arms is now elected by operation of hydraulic motor76. When the arms have been fully retracted, the load will have beencompletely disengaged, and the truck may be driven away therefrom adistance suicient for returning the bed to a horizontal position.

The apparatus is further adapted for loading bales upon the truck. Withthe parts positioned as in Figure 3, the truck is backed up to the load,and arms 70 are extended to engage under the load. Return of the bed toa horizontal position will now properly load the bales upon the truckfor transport.

If desired, the auxiliary platform can be removably attached to platform26, so that it may be readily taken ol the platform, thereby permittinguse of the truck as a conventional stake body vehicle.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily conlinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which 6. it may be suited. Nor istheinvention to be necessarily limited to the specific constructionillustrated and described, since such construction is only intended tobe illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presentlydevised to carry out said principles, it being considered that theinvention comprehends any minor change in construction that may bepermitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Bale loading and stacking apparatus for mounting on trucks `and likevehicles, comprising a stationary support frame mountable upon avehicle; a flat bed overlying the frame and hingedly connected to theframe to swing between horizontal, load-supporting and vertical,loadstacking positions; and an auxiliary platform supported upon the bedand formed in a series of steps, thus to offset selected portions of theload relative to the remaining portions, whereby, on swinging of the bedto its vertical position the several portions of the load will bestacked in a tiered arrangement, said auxiliary platform overlyingsubstantially half the area of the bed, the auxiliary platform includinga rst end portion elevated above the plane of the bed and a second endportion elevated above the plane of the first portion.

2. Bale loading and stacking apparatus for mounting on trucks and likevehicles, comprising a stationary support frame mountable upon avehicle; a at bed overlying the frame and hingedly connected to theframe to swing between horizontal, load-supporting and vertical,loadstacking positions; and an auxiliary platform supported upon the bedand formed in a series of steps, thus to olset selected portions of theload relative to the remaining portions, whereby, on swinging of the bedto its vertical position the several portions of the load will bestacked in a tiered arrangement, said auxiliary platform overlyingsubstantially half the area of the bed, the auxiliary platform includinga iirst end portion elevated above the plane of the bed and a second endportion elevated above the plane of the first portion, the auxiliaryplatform having its rst end portion elevated above the plane of the beda distance substantially halt` the depth of a bale and the second endportion elevated above the plane of the irst portion a further distanceof substantially half a bale, whereby to olset bales supported upon thefirst end portion relative to said bales supported upon the part of thebed not covered by the auxiliary platform, in a staggered array, andwhereby, further, to offset bales supported upon the second named endportions of the auxiliary platform in a staggered array relative to thebales supported upon the trst named end portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,586,808 Hug June 1, 1926 1,867,844 Jungersen July 19, 1932 2,598,865Turner June 3, 1952 2,684,773 Boyles July 27, 1954 2,726,115 Babcock etal Dec. 6, 1955

